Last Argument of Kings

The First Law: Book Three

By: Joe Abercrombie

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 27 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The end is coming.

Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him, but it’s going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm and there’s only one man who can top him. His oldest friend and his oldest enemy. It’s time for the Bloody-Nine to come home.

With too many masters and too little time, Superior Glokta is fighting a different kind of war - a secret struggle in which no-one is safe and no-one can be trusted. His days with a sword are far behind him. It’s a good thing blackmail, threats, and torture still work well enough.

Jezal dan Luthar has decided that winning glory is too painful, and turned his back on soldiering for a life with the woman he loves. But love can be painful too, and glory has a nasty habit of creeping up on someone.

While the King of the Union lies on his death bed, the peasants revolt and the nobles scramble to steal his crown. No-one believes that the shadow of war is falling across the very heart of the Union. The First of the Magi has a plan to save the world. But there are risks. There is no risk more terrible, after all, than to break the First Law.

©2008 Joe Abercrombie (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group Limited

This was an awesome experience

I just finished the first law series. 3 books 71 hours. And my reaction was -- I need more! Hands down the best recommendation I have had. So glad my sister recommended it. Just excellent writing. I wish it had 10 volumes. Flawless delivery to a truly attention grabbing tale. I say this without any reservations -- it is a masterpiece.

This series needs a fourth book!

What made the experience of listening to Last Argument of Kings the most enjoyable?

Abercrombie's style and Pacey's acting is probably the best I've listened to. It's complex yet easy to follow. I love the humour.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Last Argument of Kings?

Too many to mention.

What does Steven Pacey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His acting was tremendous and definitely elevates the series. He manages a different voice for every major character and maintains it. I think that the humour and satire satire that I loved so much in this series could not have been appreciated without great acting.

Any additional comments?

In the end, I felt that the epic needed more closure. It ended with a cliff-hanger (pun intended). While listening, I imagined numerous plot twists in the finale and wondered how it would go but my imagined timeline went months to years beyond Abercrombie's last book. I was also hoping to see the characters "grow" a little as it seemed they were on the cusp throughout the series. I feel a bit gipped. I'd be more than happy to buy fourth book in this series (or more) because it was so enjoyable right to the last page.Despite the ending it is still one of the best series I've listened to (among dozens).

Epic ending

If you've read the first two, this a no brainer. If you haven't. Start now then come back. Great listen!

Great Ending to a Great Trilogy

This is a must listen to for any fantasy enthusiast. Ambercrombie's story telling is riveting and only enhanced by the vocal work of Steven Pacey. I just finished listening to the 1st law trilogy for the third time, each time it gets better and better.

Good read

5 star rating for Golkta's character and plot line. The rest of the story was hit and miss for me.

A very suitable finale

This was one of the most enjoyable conclusions to a trilogy that I have ever read. The narrative is what you have come to expected from Joe Abercrombie and the way the story of the main characters wraps up is satisfying.

Stunning Fantasy

This is what a Fantasy novel should be: a cracking narrative, a bunch of great characters (not stereotypes), clear sub-text about the nature of good and evil, and to top it off a brilliant performance by Stephen Pacey.

Pacey's performance brings the narrative more than alive, and his fantastic character voices are distinctive enough to make you think more than one actor is delivering this "play". His internal monologues as Glockter are sublime, and timing is impecable. One minor point was that sometimes the minor characters got lumped in with the main characters in terms of performance but that is really nit picking.

The story itself, the conclusion of the First Law trilogy, is a magnificent romp through a well rounded world that Abercrombie has created, and gives depth and flavour to the cast and locations.

The narrative, as any book worth its salt should, moved me from excitment, horror, disgust to laughing out loud and even at some moments delight (although I probably shouldn't have been delighted...) I'm not giving anything away in this review and it deserves to be listened to, to appreciate all the twists and turns written.

I cannot recommend it highly enough, but don't be decieved by the monicker Fantasy, this is down to earth rough, and ready, high and mighty piece of work, where colour comes from swearing, blood and gore, violence and in some cases down-right nasty behaviour on the main protagonists.

Buy it.

Even the best must end

Abercrombie weaves a story line of devastatingly funny and slightly nefarious characters that you want to eavesdrop on forever. It comes to an end but you can always listen again.

Ends Where it begins

I'll let the other reviews give you more details but this trilogy rocks. Multiple times in throughout the series it is stressed that history repeats itself. It's interesting that it ends much the same way it begins.

I also like how he portrays the characters. It show that not everybody you think is bad is bad and those that are "good" are not always so. It also addresses a lot of grey areas.

IMO Bayaz is a bad guy, Luther is good and Nine fingers is in the grey area. This is just a example of how things change from when you start the series.

The series is not one of those that wraps everything up neatly in the end but nonetheless it is enjoyable. There are two stand alone books that go with this and there is a third on the way. I plan on listening to them all.


The first is Best Served cold
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_5?asin=B0032ITJEA&qid=1346238801&sr=1-5

The second is The Heroes
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_4?asin=B004PKDGMK&qid=1346238801&sr=1-4

The third is Red Country
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Country-Joe-Abercrombie/dp/0316187216

Not at all what I expected

I loved this "trilogy" so much I was popping in my ear buds every time I had a spare 5 minutes by the time I got to the last book. The characters were well developed, the story was epic and the narration was top of the line.
In fact the narration was what made the book. I can't prove this, but I'm convinced that the narrator skipped a lot of "Said Logan", Gisele said", etc. because he was able to distinguish between the dozens of characters so well that the listener already knew who was speaking. Stephen Pacey is not so much a narrator as a story teller, I don't think a whole acting troupe each with their own specialties could have done a better job.
As to the end of the trilogy I'd have to say it was a lot more realistic than I expected, if that makes sense. It wasn't a Hollywood ending, I'll just say that.
Some people have been complaining about the ending not really being an "ending", and I don't know after reading it who could possibly deny that. The core story of the trilogy is told, but it definitely moves right into the next book (practically mid sentence). However I have to say that as far as this story goes I am satisfied and don't necessarily feel like I need to listen to the next book to get the "whole story". I think it's more of an unrelated story with the same characters.